Car construction



June 29, 1943. F, KOCH ET AL 2,322,941

CAR CONSTRUCTION Filed June 21, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet l June 29, 1943. F.KOCH ET AL CAR CONSTRUCTION Filed June 21, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTORS. i e/IX Koo/z.

June 29, 1943.

F. KOCH ET AL CAR CONSTRUCTION Filed June 21, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 5Patented June 29, 1943 CAR CONSTRUCTION Felix Koch, Bellevue, andStephen Badgett, Ben Avon, Pa., assignors to Pressed Steel Car Company,Inc., Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application June21, 1941, Serial No. 399,098

6 Claims.

Our invention pertains in general to railrod passenger cars andspecifically to the car underframe. In the particular type of underframehereunder consideration, the underframe, side sills combine with thebody side Wall construction to form girders which carry the weight ofthe car body and passengers. These body side 'wall girders transmittheir loads through the car bolsters to the car center sill. The centersills at the bolsters are supported on the car trucks. From theforegoing, it is apparent that the center sills may thus functionprimarily asa column to absorb buffing and draft stresses imposed uponthe car when in operation.

Due to the high rate of speed of operation of these cars, includingquick starting and stopping, the center sill must absorb greater stressthan heretofore necessaryl There is also the necessity for absorbingsudden shocks of great intensity during any collision of these cars. Tomerely increase the size of the carparts is not an economic solutionbecause of the expense involved in hauling excess weight, It is alsoundesirable to use the body side wall girders to abviding a strong andrigid connection with the spring bufling means mounted at each end ofthe center sill.

These and further objects of the invention will I be made apparent asthe description proceeds. In the drawings forming part of thesespecifications, Fig. 1 shows a plan view of a portion of the carunderframe including the end buffing casting, bolster and anintermediate cross bearer; Fig. 2 shOWs a section longitudinally of theunderframe at the center line therefor as indicated by lines 2-2 on Fig.1; Fig, 3 shows a section longitudinally of the underframe as indicatedby lines 3-3; Fig. 4 shows a transverse section through the underframein front of the bolster and indicated by lines 4-4 on Fig. 1; Fig. 5shows a transverse section through the underframe at the crossbearer asindicated by lines 5-5 on Fig. 1; Figs. 6 and 7 show enlarged details ofportions of Figs. 4 and 5 respectively.

Referring now in detail to the drawings wherein like referencecharacters refer to like parts; reference character I indicates thecenter sill comprised of two Z-bars having opposing top flanges weldedtogether and oppositely disposed bottom'fianges. The center sill I doesnot extend the full length of the underframe and has a buffer casting 2mounted in each end of the sill to form part of the ends of the under--frame. Disposed transversely of the underframe and inwardly from eachend of the sill I is a bolster including pairs of spaced diaphragins 3extending from opposite sides of the center sill to the underframe sidesills 4. Disposed behind each bolster and in spaced relation thereto arecrossbearers comprised of 'diaphragms 5 extending from opposite sides ofthe center sill I to the adjacent side sills 4 and having portionsextending across the center sill to the longitudinal center of thecanwhere these latter portions are welded together to form thecrossbeareras an integral, member. A top plate 5a and bottom plate 5bconnect the diaphragms 5 to the center and side sills. Within the centersill and between the diaphragms 5 is a center sill separator 50. Mountedon the top of the center sill and extending from the crossbearer 5 tothe buffer casting 2 are reinforcement members 6 preferably in the formof Z-bars united with the bolsters 3. i

The buffer casting 2 may be of any suitable form and may be an integralpart of the car end and platform casting (not shown). Within the buffercasting 2 are mounted suitable draft gear of-any usual form. This buffercasting extends between the end of the center sill I and the end of thecar underframe. A portion 1 of the buffing casting which is of boxsection is disposed within the end of the center sill and between thebolster diaphragms 3 to form the. bolster center brace. This portion 1of the buffercasting within the center sill engages the side and topwalls of the center sill and is preferably welded thereto as indicatedby reference characters B. Adjacent the outer end of sill I andextending thereabove are ribs I6 of angular shape integrally formed onbuffer casting 2. These ribs I6 abut Z-bars Ii as hereinafter described.At the bottom of buffer casting 2, in alignment with the bottom flangesof center sill I, are flanges II terminating adjacent the ends of thesill bottom flanges and welded thereto. It is also desirable to weld theend of the web of the center sill I to the end casting 2 as clearlyindicated in Fig. 3 of the drawings. In this manner the end of thecenter sill through its web, bottom flanges, and the projecting ends of.the sill reinforcing member 6 is integrally connected to the buffercasting 2. The bolster diaphragms 3 are also secured to the center silland buffer casting portion 1 by suitable means indicated by referencecharacter 9.

The center sill reinforcing members 6 which are angular in form andshown as Z-bars are secured to the top of the center sil1 by anysuitable means such as welding. These Z-bars 6 have their bottom flangesengaging the center sill, their vertical webs in line with the sidewalls of the buffer casting and their top flanges extending outwardlyabove the center sill. As illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, the buffercasting projects above as well as into the end of the center sill andthe Z-bars 6 project beyond the end of the center sill into engagementwith the top of the box section I and the angular section of the buffercasting ribs 16 for welded connection thereto. As illustrated in Figures1 and 5, the members 6 extend through the bolster and along the centersill to the crossbearer to which they are welded.

The bolsters adjacent each end of the center sil1 comprise spaced apartpairs of diaphragm members 3 placed back to back and extending from eachside of the center sill to the side sills. Each diaphragm 3 extendsvertically between the top flange of the center sill reinforcing member6 and the bottom flange of the center sill and is provided with aperipheral flange one side I!) of which is secured to the said topflange and one side I I of which is secured to said bottom flange. Thisdiaphragm peripheral flange has a portion l2 disposed against the web ofthe center sills and Z-bars 6 and secured thereto. As shown in Figured,the same rivets connecting the buffer casting to the center sill alsoconnect the bolster diaphragm flange'to the center sill. Each bolster isprovided with a top plate 13 extending from side sill to side sillconnecting the top flanges of the bolster diaphragms 3 and the topflanges of the center sil1 reinforcing members 6; Disposed transverselyof the center sill between the reinforcing members 6 are spaced angularmembers I4. These members l4 preferably have a vertical leg disposed inthe vertical plane of the webs of the opposed bolster diaphragms .3 anda horizontal leg disposed beneath the bolster top plate Ill. Thesemembers I4 are preferably welded to the center sil1 and center sillreinforcing Z-bars 6. They arealso preferably riveted to the bolster topplate l3 as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4. The bottom flanges of thebolster diaphragms are connected by a bottom plate l5 extending fromside sill to side sill and secured to the bottom flanges of the centerand side sills.

From an inspection of the drawings and the foregoing description it willbe apparent that any buffing stresses imposed upon the buffing casting 2will be transferred directly into the center sill l which is reinforcedby Z-bars 6. These latter reinforcing Z-bars 6 are tied into the bolsterand buffing casting so that the entire structure acts as a unit.

Having thus described the invention what we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is 1. In a car underframe in combination, acenter sil1 terminating inwardly of each end of the underframe, an endand draft casting secured to each end of and forming continuations ofthe center sill and having portions projecting above the center sill; abolster member extending across the underframe inwardly of each end of'the center sill; center sil1 reinforcing members secured to the topface of the center sill at each end thereof, said reinforcement membersforming abutments for the end casting projecting portions andterminating between the bolsters.

2. In a car underframe in combination, a center sill, draft and buffingmembers at each end of said center sill and connected thereto formingcontinuations thereof; a bolster adjacent each end of said center silland comprising diaphragm members extending laterally from the oppositesides of the said center sill and extending vertically above said centersill; a transversely disposed member secured to the center sill ininwardly spaced relation to each said bolster and extending continuouslyacross the center sill; angularly shaped reinforcing members secured tothe top of the ends of the center sill adjacent each side thereof, theopposite ends of each said reinforcing member being connectedrespectively to the adjacent draft and buffing members and Y the saidtransversely disposed member, and a connection between said bolsterdiaphragm members and the adjacent center sill reinforcement members.

3.- In a car underframe, a center sill terminating short of the ends ofthe underframe, an end buffing and draft member connected to each end ofthe center sill and extending to the adjacent end of the underframe;portions on said draft and bufing members extending above the horizontalplane of the top of the center sill in outward spaced relation to theend of the center sill; reinforcing members for said center sill andsaid members being secured to the top of the center sill and extendingbeyond the ends thereof for connection with said upwardly extendingmember portions, each said reinforcing members having top flangeportions extending laterally outward of the center sill; a pair ofspaced bolster cliaphragms at opposite sides of the center sill inwardlyfrom each end thereof, each said bolster diaphragms extending betweenthe top flange of the reinforcing member and the bottom of the side silland secured to the side sill and said member; an angular member having avertical Web portion disposed between said reinforcing members inalignment with the webs of the bolster diaphragms on opposite sides ofthe center sil1 and connected with said reinforcing members, and top andbottom cover plates connecting said bolster diaphragms above and beneaththe center sill.

4. In a railway car underframe, a center sill, a draft member at eachend thereof having a portion extending within the end of the sill forconnection thereto and portions extending above the plane of the top ofthe sill in outward spaced relation to the adjacent end of the sill;reinforcing members secured to the top of said sill and extendingoutwardly from the end thereof, and a connection between the latter endsof said reinforcing members and said upwardly projecting portions of thedraft members.

5. In a railway car underframe, a center sill terminating short of theends of the underframe and comprising spaced members having opposingabutting top flanges and outwardly extending bottom flanges; an endbuffing and draft member extending between each end of the center silland the adjacent end of theunderframe, each said latter members havingbottom flanges abutting and secured to the adjacent center sill flangesand a top portion projecting above the center sill top flanges;reinforcing members secured to the top flanges of the center sillmembers adjacent each said end member and connected to said upwardlyprojecting top portions thereof.

6. In a car underframe, a center sill formed of angular members havingconnected substantially abutting top flanges and oppositely disposedbottom flanges; a draft member mounted within one end of the center silland having upwardly extending angular portions spaced outwardly of theend of the center sill; angular reinforcing members secured to the topflanges of the center sill and disposed in alignment with said draftmember upwardly extending portions, a connection between said centersill angular reinforcing members and corresponding aligned portions ofthe draft member; bolster diaphragms disposed in pairs on opposite sidesof the center sill and secured thereto and to the inserted end of thedraft member, top and bottom flanges on said pairs of bolster diaphragmsbeing oppositely disposed for lapping and being secured to the centersill reinforcing members and center sill bottom flanges respectively;angular members secured to the center sill top flanges between saidreinforcing members therefor and in alignment with said bolsterdiaphragm webs and top flanges on opposite sides of the center sill, andcover plates connecting said bolster diaphragms on opposite sides of thecenter sill to the center sill through said reinforcing members,interposed angular members and center sill top flanges.

FELIX KOCH.

STEPHEN H. BADGET'I.

